Andros in September: Warm Sea, Crawfish Season, Blue Holes and the Reef

In September the creeks around Fresh Creek turn the color of strong tea after an afternoon shower, and the smell of wet pine and salt hangs over Andros Town until the sun comes out again. Fishing skiffs slide out over the flats at first light, and on the porches of small settlements the talk is of crawfish, weather and who caught what. The island is warm, green and unhurried, a month for the reef, the blue holes and long meals of fresh seafood.

A flat coast on Andros in summer · Illustration

What is the weather like in Andros in September?

In Andros, September brings heat and heavy damp air, and the sea feels just as warm, while the tropics are at their peak.

Month	Sea at Andros (°F)	Daylight on the 15th (hours and minutes)
August	87.1	13 h 02 min
September	86.7	12 h 19 min
October	85.1	11 h 37 min

In Nassau, highs average about 90°F in September. On Andros the feeling is of a day that starts bright and sticky, builds toward a heavy afternoon, and often breaks into a tropical downpour that passes over the pines and the mangroves in a quarter of an hour or so, then leaves the air rinsed and the light almost gold. Some days stay gray and damp, and others never produce more than a drifting cloud.

The sea is the steady part of the picture. It is warm from the first morning to the last evening, so a swim at dawn is as comfortable as one at dusk. The daylight is shortening too, noticeably since August, so evenings arrive earlier and dinner on a porch happens in the half-dark, with the sound of tree frogs and the occasional boat engine easing toward the dock.

For clothes, think light cotton, quick-drying shirts and something you do not mind getting soaked. A thin rain jacket is more useful than an umbrella, because the wind often arrives ahead of a squall. This is also the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season, so the sky and the forecasts are part of the daily conversation.

Can you swim in Andros in September?

Sure, you can take a long, easy swim since the water stays warm, and you will not feel that jolt at first step like in colder months.

The look of the water on any given day comes down to the wind, the tide and which stretch of shore you are on. The Atlantic side, facing the long reef, can be glassy after a still night and choppy after a blow, while the sheltered creeks and flats run clear and shallow. After a squall, the water near river mouths and mangroves may cloud for a while and clear again.

Snorkeling is the way most people meet the sea here, drifting over coral and sponge gardens, and the warmth means a thin swim shirt is enough for sun protection and comfort. A mask and snorkel of your own fit better than a rental, and a reef-safe sunscreen matters because the September sun burns even through thin cloud.

Conditions shift from day to day and from one cove to the next, and a passing tropical system can stir the whole coast. Keep an eye on the sky before you head out on a boat.

What to do in Andros in September

The month belongs to the water and to the table. Crawfish season is open from August 1 to March 31, so September menus carry the spiny lobster in nearly every form, and the island’s cooks have a full month of practice behind them. On many menus crawfish and lobster mean the same thing, and any other variety is named.

Seek out a salad of crawfish, prepared with diced lobster, onions, sweet peppers and lime juice, served at times over greens and at other times tucked into a sandwich. Cracked conch, grilled snapper, peas and rice and a cold local beer round out a good porch lunch. On a wet afternoon, nothing beats a plate of something hot and a table under a tin roof, listening to the rain drum on it.

Andros has no big festival we can point to in September, and that is part of its charm. The month is quiet, closer to ordinary island life than to a holiday show. Evenings bring dominoes, church suppers and the slow business of small settlements, with fishermen mending gear and neighbors trading news across a fence.

The Andros Barrier Reef

Along the island’s Atlantic side runs one of the great reefs of the world, the third largest of its kind, and it is the reason divers have come to Andros for generations. On your trip you can do both scuba diving and snorkeling, and because the sea stays warm in September, you can spend hours in the water without getting cold.

Under the water, coral heads come into view, along with schools of small reef fish, sea fans swaying in the current, and past the drop-off, the deep blue of the Tongue of the Ocean. The best hours are usually the morning, when the light slants clean through the water and the afternoon clouds have not yet built. This outing suits people comfortable in the water who want a full day on the sea rather than a stretch on the sand.

Blue holes on land and in the shallows

Andros is famous for its blue holes, dark circular sinkholes ringed by pale shallows, and the numbers are startling. More than a hundred tidal and freshwater ones lie on South Andros by itself, while pine, creek and mangrove span roughly 40,000 acres inside Blue Holes National Park.

You look down into deep, still, ink-colored water and feel how much hidden world sits under the flat island. Among the ones with names is the Guardian Blue Hole, whose surface pond contains fresh water.

Local lore tells of a sea monster, the lusca, lurking in such depths, a story told with a straight face and a wink. This is a place for looking and wandering, in the cooler early hours when the pine forest is still and the mosquitoes are fewer.

Andros Town and Fresh Creek

Fresh Creek runs through the middle of the island, and Andros Town, which hugs its banks, is the starting point for lots of visitors. The settlement is small, the creek is lined with boats and the pace is gentle. A stroll along the water takes in fishing skiffs, a few shops and houses painted in the bright pastels of the islands.

The town is also known for Androsia, the batik fabric printed with flower, fish and shell patterns, which has long been a symbol of the island. Bolts and finished shirts in its saturated colors make a lasting souvenir. Local tales also bring in the chickcharnie, a red-eyed bird-creature full of mischief that is said to dwell in the pines and to deliver good fortune or grief based on how you treat it.

Fishing is the other tradition, and Andros is known for bonefishing on its vast flats, a quiet sport of stalking silver shapes in ankle-deep water. You do not have to touch a rod at all to find that watching a guide pole a skiff over the flats as the sun comes up makes getting up early worthwhile.

A two-day itinerary for Andros in September

Day 1 begins at first light in Andros Town, when the creek is still and the air is as cool as it will get. Walk the waterfront, watch the boats go out, and have a breakfast of johnnycake or something with eggs and fresh fish at a local café. Spend the mid-morning browsing the batik shops while the heat builds.

Take lunch at a waterside spot serving crawfish salad or cracked conch, and rest through the hottest hours. Once the afternoon clouds start to gather, the sea is the place to be, so spend the mid-afternoon snorkeling over the reef, then come back in time for the last gold light.

Grilled fish, rice and a cold drink make dinner on a porch while the frogs start to sing. If the weather turns, stay in town with a long lunch, a slow shop crawl and a conversation with whoever is behind the counter.

Day 2 is for the interior. Go early to the pine and mangrove country of Blue Holes National Park, before the heat and the afternoon showers, and look down into the dark circles of water that give the island its fame. Take your time and keep the camera ready for birds and for the light slanting through the pines.

Have lunch in a small settlement, ideally stewed or steamed seafood with a side of peas and rice, then spend the afternoon on a stretch of quiet shore with a book or a gentle snorkel in the shallows. End with a last supper of grilled lobster while the sky turns orange. A rain card for this day is simple: linger over the meal, play a game of dominoes and wait for the squall to pass over the pines.

Is Andros busy in September?

No, September is one of the quietest stretches of the year on Andros, a month when the island feels nearly your own.

This is a time when many families are back at school and the summer rush has thinned. At the same time, the island is vast and thinly settled, so even in busy periods visitors spread out across pine, mangrove and shore. In September that sense of space is stronger still, with empty boat docks, uncrowded reefs and settlements where a visitor is a noticeable and welcome event.

The mood in the streets is slow. Fishermen mend gear, cooks take their time and conversations stretch. Restaurants are small and personal, often one or two tables on a porch, and the person who cooks your crawfish may be the same one who greets you at the door. That suits travelers who like being noticed and listened to.

The flip side of quiet is that things run on island time. A kitchen may close early on a slow night, a boat may leave later than hoped and a plan may bend around the weather.

Travelers who treat the month as a long, loose stretch of days tend to enjoy it most, while those who need a tight schedule may find it frustrating. September is also the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which can shift plans, so a flexible attitude helps.

What to pack for Andros in September

Pack for heat, sun, sudden rain and a lot of time in or near the water, and keep the bag light.

Quick-drying shirts and shorts, because everything you wear will feel damp by afternoon.
A thin rain jacket, since squalls arrive fast and pass fast.
Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat, for the strong sun on the water.
Your own mask and snorkel, for the reef and the shallows.
Sandals with a grip, for wet docks and creek banks.
Insect repellent, for evenings near the mangroves and the pines.

Good to know before you go

The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and September sits at its busiest stretch, with the peak on September 10. Travelers can turn to the Bahamas.com hurricane page for updates, which the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation keeps current as it tracks tropical systems, so check it both before and while you are there.

On entry, U.S. citizens need a passport with at least six months of validity, and a passport card is not accepted for arrival by air. A stay of up to eight months does not require a Bahamian visa, and travelers need a return or onward ticket and could be asked to prove they have sufficient funds for their visit.

Andros in September vs August and October

Moving the trip to August gives you the longest days of the three and a sea that is a shade warmer, with the same lobster season already open. The rhythm is much like September’s, only a little more summery, with slightly more daylight for diving and fishing and a touch more holiday energy in the air.

October brings shorter days and a sea a couple of degrees cooler, though still very warm. The hurricane season is easing toward its close, the air loosens a little and the rain tends to taper. Crawfish season is still open, so the tables stay the same. The evenings feel noticeably earlier, which changes the shape of a day on the water.

Choose August if you want the most daylight and the warmest water. Choose September if you like the quietest weeks and do not mind a storm-watching mindset. Choose October if you prefer a slightly softer edge to the heat and the sense of a season turning, with the same food and the same blue holes waiting.

Is September a good time to visit Andros?

Yes, for travelers who want a warm sea, quiet settlements and the reef and blue holes almost to themselves, as long as they accept some rain and a flexible plan.

It suits divers, snorkelers, anglers, photographers and anyone happy with a slow pace and a good porch. It suits less those who need a guaranteed forecast, a lively nightlife or a packed schedule of organized activities. Families with older children who love the water will find plenty, while anyone hoping for a resort-style week with a long list of options may prefer another island.

On arrival, start with the sea, since it is the thing September does best, and let the weather decide the rest of the day. Then eat crawfish at the first chance, because the season is open and the cooks are in practice.

Sources

Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 10, 2026
sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 10, 2026
NOAA NCEI, GHCN-Daily station BF000078073 (Nassau Airport), normals 1991-2020 computed from the daily record (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=daily-summaries&stations=BF000078073), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, crawfish season (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/its-crawfish-season), checked October 10, 2026
NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Hurricane and storm information (https://www.bahamas.com/hurricane-storm-information), checked October 10, 2026
Wikipedia, Andros (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andros,_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
Wikipedia, Fresh Creek (Andros Town) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Creek), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), travel blog, Andros nature (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/the-wild-side-of-andros), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Andros Barrier Reef (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/andros-barrier-reef), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Blue Holes National Park (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/blue-holes-national-park), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Guardian Blue Hole (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/guardian-blue-hole), checked October 10, 2026
Wikipedia, Geography of the Bahamas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Island FAQ (https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/island-faq), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Department of Immigration, Entry requirements (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Department of Immigration, Before your arrival (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/before-your-arrival/), checked October 10, 2026
U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas Travel Advisory, Level 2 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 10, 2026